The training grounds were alive with movement.
After Seraphis had slithered off to patrol, Riven had returned to find Krux overseeing a grueling endurance drill. Recruits ran laps under the weight of mana-infused pressure, their muscles straining as sweat dripped onto the packed dirt. Those who faltered were met with Krux's sharp voice barking at them to keep moving.
Nearby, Aria had taken a group of would-be assassins to a separate section of the field, where they practiced maneuvering through obstacles without making a sound. Every so often, she would flick a small throwing dagger toward one of them, just to see how quickly they reacted.
Riven observed from the raised platform, his gaze calculating.
Some of them would make it.
Most wouldn't.
"Your orders, my king?" Krux asked, stepping up beside him. His golden eyes gleamed with approval as he glanced at the struggling recruits.
